Outfide and infide both, pillars and roofs,
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd artificers
In cedar, marble, ivory, or gold.
Thence to the gates caft round thine eye, and fee
What conflux iffuing forth, or entring in,
Pretors, proconfuls to their provinces
Hafting, or on return, in robes of state;
Lictors and rods, the enfigns of their pow'r,
Legions and cohorts, turmes of horse, and wings:
Or embaffies from regions far remote
In various habits on the APPIAN road,
Or on th❜EMILIAN; fome from farthest south,
SYENE, and where the shadow both ways falls,
MEROE, NILOTIC ifle; and more to west,
The realm of BOCCHUS to the black-moor fea;
From th'ASIAN kings and PARTHIAN, among these,
From INDIA, and the golden CHERSONESE,
And utmost INDIAN ille TAPROBANE,
Dusk faces with white filken turbant wreath'd;
From GALLIA, GADES, and the BRITISH west,
GERMANS and SCYTHIANS, and SARMATIANS north
Beyond DANUBIUS to the TAURIC pool.
All nations now to ROME obedience pay,
To ROME's great emperor, whose wide domain,
In ample territory, wealth, and pow'r,
Civility of manners, arts and arms,
And long renown, thou justly may'st prefer
Before the PARTHIAN: these two thrones except,
The rest are barb'rous, and scarce worth the fight,
Shar'd among petty kings, too far remov'd:
These having fhewn thee, I have fhewn thee all
The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory.
This emp'ror hath no fon, and now is old,
Old and lafcivious, and from ROME retir'd
TO CAPREÆ, an island small but strong
On the CAMPANIAN fhore, with purpose there
His horrid lufts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked favourite
All publick cares, and yet of him fufpicious;
Hated of all, and hating; with what ease,
Indu'd with regal virtues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Mightft thou expel this monster from his throne,
Now made a stye, and in his place ascending
A victor, people free from fervile yoke?
And with my help thou may'ft; to me the pow'r
Is given, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no lefs than all the world,
Aim at the higheft; without the highest attain'd
Will be for thee no fitting, or not long,
On DAVID's throne, be prophefy'd what will.
To whom the Son of GOD unmov'd reply'd,
Nor doth this grandeur and majestick show
Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,
More than of arms before, allure mine eye,
Much less my mind; tho' thou should'st add to tell
Their fumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feafts
On CITTRON tables or ATLANTIC ftone,
(For I have also heard, perhaps have read)
Their Wines of SETIA, CALES, and FALERNE,
CHIOS and CREET, and how they quaff in gold,
Chrystal and myrrhine cups imbofs'd with gems
And studs of pearl, to me should'ft tell, who thirst
And hunger ftill: then embaffies thou fhew'ft
From nations far and nigh; what honour that,
But tedious wafte of time, to fit and hear
many hollow compliments and lies,
Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'ft to talk
emperor, how eafily fubdu'd;
How gloriously, I fhall, thou fay'ft, expel
A brutish monfter: what if I withal
Expel a devil, who first made him fuch?
Let his tormenter confcience find him out.
For him I was not fent, nor yet to free
That people, victor once, now vile and base,
Deservedly made vaffal, who once just,
Frugal, and mild, and temp'rate, conquer'd well,
But govern ill the nations under yoke,
Peeling their provinces, exhausted all
By luft and rapine; first ambitious grown
Of triumph, that insulting vanity;
Then cruel, by their sports to blood enur❜d
Of fighting beasts, and men to beafts expos'd,
Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier ftill,
And from the daily fcene effeminate.
What wife and valiant man would feek to free
These thus degen'rate, by themfelves enflav'd,
Or could of inward flaves make outward free?
Know therefore, when my feafon comes to fit
On DAVID's throne, it shall be like a tree,
Spreading and overfhad'wing all the earth;
Or as a stone that shall to pieces dash
All monarchies befides throughout the world, 150
And of my kingdom there fhall be no end:
Means there fhall be to this; but what the means,
Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell,
To whom the Tempter impudent reply'd :
I fee all offers made by me how flight
Thou valu❜st, because offer'd, and reject'st :
Nothing will please the difficult and nice,
Or nothing more than ftill to contradict:
On th❜other fide know alfo thou, that I
On what I offer set as high esteem,
Nor what I part with mean to give for nought:
All these which in a moment thou behold'st,
The kingdoms of the world, to thee I give ;
For giv'n to me, I give to whom I please,
No trifle; yet with this referve, not else,
On this condition, if thou wilt fall down,
And worship me as thy fuperior lord,
Eafily done, and hold them all of me :
For what can less so great a gift deserve ?
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